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A terrifying novel of a young man who is willing to defy even death Fabian Hightower has been killed in a car crash. At least, that is what a policeman is asking Alex, his mother to believe. But Alex knows she saw him that morning - at a time when he must have been dead. When the funeral is over Alex tries hard to forget her bizarre experience. But her mind seems to be playing strange tricks on her, turning her grief into horror. When she turns to a medium her worst fears are realised. Fabian has unfinished business and he is determined to come back. But why? Whatever the answer, something terrifies the medium so much she refuses to return. Alex longs to turn to others for support. But there is a secret about Fabian that only she knows - a secret she must never share.

A solidly entertaining if very traditional ghost story from a British novelist new to US publication. No gore, no sex - and scarcely a jot of originality - intrude upon James' effective repolishing of several dusty horror saws: the mysteriously moving trunk; cold spots; psychic readings; seances; exorcism, etc. The premise for all this otherworldly oddness? The car-crash death of Fabian, beloved son of ace London literary agent Alex and her estranged husband David Hightower. Fabian, it seems, simply refuses to cross over to the other side, preferring instead to drag that trunk around, exude foul smells, pop up in faces that Alex is about to kiss, and even leave messages on her computer screen (HELLO, MOTHER). Or is someone - something - else causing all the fuss? The natty medium whom Alex consults thinks that an evil spirit mimicking Fabian might be at work, and Fabian's old college chum - well, he just smirks deep secrets when Alex pays him a visit. And why does the terrified voice of Alex's old girlfriend come down the celestial pipeline during a seance when she's supposedly on vacation in Boston? Bit by bit, an ever more frazzled Alex puts the clues together, only to wind up deadcenter in a gothic occult web strung with madness, a restless demon, Fabian's real dad, a ballroom under a lake, and - sad to say - a confused resolution spoiled further by a cheap, jack-in-the-box ending. By grounding his fast-paced tale in a most sympathetic and believable heroine, and in a realism built of the mundane details of London life, James revitalizes his tired elements and cloaks them in a creepy - rarely chilling - claustrophobia that should please a good many readers while offending none. More discerning or adventurous horror fans, however, will be far better served by the dazzling inventions of Clive Barker's Cabal, reviewed above. (Kirkus Reviews)

Peter James is one of the UK’s most popular crime and thriller novelists. His Roy Grace detective novels have sold more than one and a half million in the UK alone and six million worldwide in total. The series is now translated into 34 languages and his latest novel, Dead Like You, went straight into the Sunday Times bestseller lists at no 1 in both hardback and paperback.

His novella, The Perfect Murder, went to No 1 on iBooks and has spent 40 consecutive weeks in the iBooks Top 10. Peter has developed a close working relationship with the Sussex Police over many years, spending an average of one day a week with them, and his writing reveals a unique insight into the reality of modern day police work. He has carried out extensive research with police in Moscow, Munich, Paris, Melbourne, Sweden, New York and Romania, and regularly attends international police conferences to ensure he is at the cutting-edge of investigative police work.

Born and brought up in Brighton, Peter divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill, London and on the South Downs near Lewes in Sussex. An established film producer and script writer, he has produced numerous films, including The Merchant Of Venice, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes. A TV adaptation of the Roy Grace series is currently in development, with Peter overseeing all aspects, including the scriptwriting. In 2009 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Brighton in recognition of his services to literature and the community.